When I ran it with my player's a while back they did very well and had few casualties and many scares.
THE HYENA
This scenario was written for my OSR Victorian game but can be easily re-skinned for other time
periods or settings. The scenario is presented as generic as possible. No maps are included. Maps of London and old estates are easy enough to find online and re purpose.
London, 1890's
October
THE PC'S
(The PC's in this game were created at 5th level using my OSR Victorian rules.)
The hook I used to get them into the adventure is as follows (others can be easily employed.)
They are friends and companions of Lord Talbot, a minor nobleman. He is a member of the
Explorer's Club and they are his frequent guests on hunts, safaries, and other adventures.
THE SETUP
There have been a series of gruesome deaths in London's Richmond Park over the course of the last
three nights. The newspapers are tearing the police apart and they have managed to quell panic of
"The Ripper's Return!" only by the fact the wounds appeared to be the work of a 'wild dog which
probably wandered into the park.'
Small comfort for the family and friends of the victims.
The Victims thus far:
⦁ Night One: Two couples, walking in the evening.
⦁ Night Two: Two tramps, camping in the park at night. (A third survived and can be tracked down as a witness to the deaths.
⦁ Night Three (Last night): One Parks Policemen on patrol, killed and mutilated on his patrol route. Growing desperate the police have asked the Explorer's Club for help, wishing to utilize professional trackers to find and destroy the beast from the Park. Lord Talbot has volunteered his and his companions skills to rid London of the menace.
⦁ A long time friend of Talbot's, and also member of the Explorer's Club, Lord Winston Godfrey has joined the hunt along with his Cameroonian servant M'Buku.
⦁ Accompanied by a heavily armed squad of policemen under the charge of Inspector Aaron Copeland, 35, the Player's party is part of a spread out net of hunters in the park, tracking and waiting for the beast to strike again.
WHAT'S GOING ON
The Park is being hunted by a Were-hyena.
Godfrey and M'Buku know what is going on and are trying to hide the truth and save the
Werehyena.
Godfrey was on a hunt near Lake Chad in Cameroon, in the land of the Kanuri's. M'Buku and
Godfrey became fast friends and Godfrey fell in love with M'Buku's sister, Malaika. They were
secretly married and she poses as his servant here in London. The problem is the youngest brother,
Sani. He was cursed by a witch-man in Cameroon and transforms each night into the Werehyena.
Godfrey and M'Buku kept him caged and safe during the transformations and brought him to
Godfrey's isolated estate on the edges of London. With the help of scientist Dr. Adolf Von Kreider
they seek a scientific cure to his condition.
Sani escaped his capture three days ago and has been hiding in the park, mad with grief and
tormented by his curse. Godfrey and M'Buku have been hunting for him each night trying to subdue
him with traps, nets, and even poison to bring him in alive.
EVENTS
The Park:
After several hours the PC's will hear the approach of a strangely silent dog-pack. Aware of the
many hunters in the park the Were-hyena has brought the stray pack under his power and has them
attack the hunters and try to kill as many as possible. They will fight to the death under his control.
Immediately after the dogs the Were-hyena will appear and viciously attack the party.
He will use the cover of fog and darkness to his advantage as well as his ability to quickly climb and
launch himself from the trees.
He can be driven off by either losing half of his HP's or being struck by iron pellets from Godfrey or
M'Buku's guns. He will attempt (and probably) escape over the outer wall of the park if chased. He
will then circle the park and head south.
It will be impossible to track him over the pavement and dogs will not willingly follow his scent.
The Next Morning:
Newspaper headlines flash with news of a first victim found outside of the park in nearby Sutton. A
prostitute was savagely torn apart. No witnesses.
CLUES
The Victims:
Each was killed by a massive bite to the throat and their bodies savaged. The bite marks are huge,
larger than any known species of dog in london with pronounced upper and lower canines.
One massive man-sized print was found near the corpes of the tramps. Research into such things
will allow the party to find that the bite pattern and track match that of a Hyena, although of
enormous size.
The surviving tramp witness did not see the attacker but he did hear 'giggling and laughter before
and during the attack.'
The Dog-Pack:
The dog-pack's uncanny silence approaching and willingness to fight to the death, not running even
facing gunfire.
Godfrey and M'Buku:
If questioned about the track or teeth they will feign ignorance. A little research into their past
shows they have dealt with hyenas before and would recognize such signs.
During the fight with the Were-hyena they both are reluctant to fire upon the beast, intentionally
missing as much as possible trying to drive it away.
The PC's will spot this on an awareness check. ( each PC has a chance to spot this: 1 on a 1d6 due to
the chaos of combat.)
If asked about Were-hyena legends they will lie and state that they are said to be harmed with silver
instead of iron.
Sutton:
⦁ Godfrey's estate lies to the south of Sutton.
⦁ The Were-hyena was fleeing in that direction when he left the park.
⦁ If the PC's visit the estate they will be greeted at the door by Malaika, posing as a maid. She will not let them in. Godfrey and M'buku are not at home.
Godfrey's Estate:
All roads lead to here.
The Werehyena is driven by his curse to attampt to kill his sister Malaika. She is currently under the
care of Dr. Von Kreider. They will be in her upstairs bedroom, waiting.
The house is riddled with traps designed to slow Sani down. Shotgun shells hidden under floor
boards, arrow traps, punji pits, explosives, spear traps, snares, etc. The two hunters will be waiting
upstairs for Sani to break in.
Sani will climb the walls and attack from a skylight above.
END GAME
There is no cure for Sani. The only way to stop him permanently is death.
If the PC's can help the hunters destroy him, they have won and will gain new allies. Rich allies.
NPC'S
Lord Jonathan William Talbot, 30
HD 5
AC 12 (Leather Jacket + Dex bonus)
HP 33
Dmg Rifle (2d8), Heavy Pistol (1d8), Ghurka knife (1d6)
Save 10/F5
Special Awareness -1 to surprised, Sneak 65%, Survival 65%, Track 65%
Dex 15, Int 13, Cha 14
Detective Aaron David Copeland, 32
HD 4
AC 10
HP 25
Dmg Pistol (1d6), Nightstick (1d4)
Save 11/T4
Special Assess (60%), Deduction (60%), Local Knowledge (60%)
Int 15, Wis 15 Cha 13
Lord Godfrey, 32
HD 4
AC 13 (Leather Jacket, Dex bonus, Class bonus)
HP 24
Dmg Rifle (2d8), Heavy Pistol (1d8), Saber(1d8+ 1 Str bonus)
Save 11/F4
Special +1 hit with melee weapons, +1 to AC
Str 15, Dex 13, Wis 13, Cha 14
M'Buku, 29
HD 5
AC 12 (Dex bonus)
HP 34
Dmg Rifle (2d8), Heavy Pistol (1d8), Ghurka knife (1d6 +1 Str bonus)
Save 10
Special Awareness -1 to surprised, Sneak 65%, Survival 65%, Track 65%
Str 15, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 13
Malaika, 25
AC 10
HD 1
HP 4
Att +1
Dmg Knife (1d4)
Save 16
Move 12
Int 13, Wis 14, Chs 15
Dr. Adolf Von Kreider, 52
HD 3
AC 10
HP 12
Dmg Heavy Pistol (1d8),Scalpel(1d3)
Save 12/T3
Special Diagnose Illness (70%), Healing (70%) heal 1d6 per person after combat, Stabilize when below 0 hp (70%)
Int 15, Wis 3
POSSIBLE LOCALES
⦁ The Explorer's Club
⦁ Richmond Park
⦁ The Police Station Dead Room (The Morgue)
⦁ Hospital
⦁ Godfrey Hall
MONSTERS
The Were-hyena/Sani
AC 16 (half damage from any weapon other than iron)
HD 6
HP 40
Att +6
Dmg 2 claws (1d4) or bite (1d10)
Save 11
Move 180/90 climbing
Regenerate:
2 points per round unless the damage is from iron.
Climbing:
With his powerful claws the Werehyena can climb wooden walls, trees, cobblestone walls, etc with
a move rate of 9.
Curse:
If a victim is brought below 50 percent HP's by the bite they must make a Save or be cursed to turn
into a Were-hyena on the next month's dark of the moon. After that they will transform each night
at sundown.
The curse turns the Were-hyena into an incarnation of evil itself. They have no pity or regard for
anyone or anything in their path. They are often drawn to seeking out and killing those they love
most.
Dog
AC 12
HD 1+1
HP 6
Dmg Bite (1d4)
Save 16
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